A new 7 Brew drive-thru coffee stand now stands at 358 White Horse Pike in Lawnside, occupying a pad site that until recently held a derelict, abandoned gas station. The prefabricated building went up roughly six weeks after crews demolished the old station about two months before publication, and franchise operators are targeting a fall opening before Thanksgiving, though no firm date has been announced.
From Blighted Corner to Drive-Thru Pad
The Lawnside stand sits directly in front of the Home Depot at 310 White Horse Pike and next to the Town & Country Car Wash, according to 42 Freeway, which first reported on the site's progress. The Home Depot sits on a busy commercial stretch, and nearby businesses include a Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, Thirsty Turtle Tavern, and Super Wawa, per 42 Freeway's reporting.
7 Brew relies on off-site construction of its core buildings, and the Lawnside structure is no exception — the compact unit arrived largely assembled rather than being built from scratch on site. Restaurant Dive describes off-site construction at 7 Brew, while Shorebeat reported a proposed 510-square-foot stand in Brick. The Lawnside building appeared on its foundation just weeks after demolition, though utility work and other site preparation still remain before the drive-thru can open.
A Chain Expanding Fast Across South Jersey
7 Brew, founded in Arkansas in 2017 and expanded to seven coffee stands by 2020, now operates more than 700 locations nationwide as a drive-thru-only coffee and drink concept, per 42 Freeway. The chain's menu spans coffees, energy drinks, sodas, smoothies, shakes, teas, and lemonades, with more than 20,000 possible drink combinations. In the South Jersey area specifically, 7 Brew opened its first Turnersville location and its first Washington Township stand roughly 18 months before this publication, and has since added locations in Blackwood, Egg Harbor Township, Sicklerville, and Rio Grande, with more under development in Voorhees and Cherry Hill.
The pace is not unique to South Jersey. 7 Brew has opened 11 locations in the region in roughly 18 months, and the chain's New Jersey and Philadelphia-area franchise operator has discussed plans for as many as 100 locations across the two markets, according to 42 Freeway's report. That regional ambition tracks with the chain's national trajectory: NACS reported that industry data from Placer.ai found 7 Brew was the fastest-growing U.S. restaurant chain in 2024 by both sales and unit growth, with its market visit share climbing from 0.1% in 2020 to 3.8% by late 2025.
Institutional Money Behind the Rapid Rollout
Much of that expansion has been fueled by outside capital. Private equity firm Blackstone acquired a growth equity stake in 7 Brew in February 2024 to accelerate the chain's drive-thru buildout in partnership with franchise operators like the Flynn Group, according to a Blackstone announcement. More recently, Franchise Equity Partners acquired a majority stake in 7 Crew, 7 Brew's second-largest franchisee, in September 2025, committing capital to build more than 200 new drive-thru locations in Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, and New Mexico — a deal that came as 7 Crew operated roughly 50 stands, per Daily Coffee News. The chain also marked its 500th U.S. location with an October 2025 opening in Toms River, New Jersey, a milestone that underscored the state's outsized role in 7 Brew's national growth, World Coffee Portal reported.
New Jersey's suburban commercial corridors have proven especially receptive to the format. In late January 2026, the Brick Township planning board approved a similar 510-square-foot 7 Brew drive-thru stand along Route 70 in Ocean County, using part of the existing plaza parking lot, per Shorebeat. Hoodline has covered similar 7 Brew buildouts converting old fast-food sites and big-box parking lots across multiple states in recent weeks, including a Kansas City KFC takeover.
Lawnside's Historic Backdrop
The site's redevelopment is unfolding in a borough with a distinct civic history. Lawnside was incorporated in 1926 under a state law signed by Gov. A. Harry Moore, holds national significance as the first independent, self-governing African American municipality established north of the Mason-Dixon Line, and remains the only historically Black incorporated borough in New Jersey, according to the Borough of Lawnside. The town is also home to the Peter Mott House, whose construction took place in phases around 1845 and 1870.
For now, the coffee stand itself remains a construction site rather than an open business. Franchise operators are targeting a fall 2026 opening and would like to get the doors — or rather, the drive-thru lanes — running before Thanksgiving, but no opening date has been formally announced. Utility connections and remaining site work will determine how close that timeline holds.
